What Next?

• Once you have had the baby and the midwives are happy to discharge you from the delivery suite, you will be transferred to the post-natal ward. Depending on what type of birth you have had, you may be required to stay in hospital for a few days.
• Whilst in hospital, you will be visited by the paediatrician, who will check your baby to make sure that all is well.
• Before you leave hospital, a midwife may conduct a heel prick test on your baby to check that her blood sugar levels are normal.
• You will be given a whole load of paperwork before you are discharged. The most important pieces are your Postnatal Notes and the Personal Child Health Record (little red book), so make sure you hang on to them! (NB. Depending on your length of stay in hospital, you will either receive the little red book when you are discharged or on the first visit by the Health Visitor)
• Whenever you are discharged from the hospital, you will be in the care of a community midwife for 10 days. They will normally visit you the day after you go home, to check that you and baby are doing ok. They are there to answer any questions or concerns you may have, such as breastfeeding, so make sure you make the most of them!
• You will also be contacted by a Health Visitor, who will take over from the community midwife after the 10 day period. For the first couple of times, the health visitor will probably visit you at home and is there to offer support and advice for both you and baby. Thereafter, you will be able to see the health visitor at your surgery – most surgeries have specific baby clinic days, whereby you can have baby weighed and speak with the health visitor. Whenever you see the health visitor, it is important to take your little red book, so she can fill in the necessary sections.
• If your baby is born on a week day you can register their birth whilst in hospital, or else you can go to your local Registrars Office.